Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between licensed social workers and mental health counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a licensed social worker, becoming a mental health counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a licensed social worker has an average salary of $57,005, which is higher than the $49,471 average annual salary of a mental health counselor.
The top three skills for a licensed social worker include social work, patients and home health. The most important skills for a mental health counselor are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.
| Licensed Social Worker | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $57,005 | $49,471 |
| Hourly rate | $27.41 | $23.78 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 66,130 | 110,752 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Licensed Social Workers are duly and legally recognized to carry out activities related to social work. They identify individuals or groups of people in need and assess what kind of help they require. They may assist these people in connecting to agencies that would cater to their needs. Licensed Social Workers also help people cope with their challenges. They are responsible for crafting treatment plans or well-being improvement plans for the individuals they help. They may also be called on during times of crisis to provide emotional support to the individuals involved.
A mental health counselor is responsible for helping patients deal with their emotional and mental disorders by developing treatment plans and conducting regular counseling to track the patient's progress and condition. Mental health counselors encourage active communication from their patients, provide coping strategies for triggering situations, seek advice from other health care professionals, and guide patients on doing other activities that would help them relax. A mental health counselor must have excellent knowledge of the mental health disciplines to assist patients in their healthy lifestyle development.
Licensed social workers and mental health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Licensed Social Worker | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Average salary | $57,005 | $49,471 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $78,000 | Between $34,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Longview, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a licensed social worker and a mental health counselor in terms of educational background:
| Licensed Social Worker | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between licensed social workers' and mental health counselors' demographics:
| Licensed Social Worker | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.1% Female, 83.9% | Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 15% |